The sound of Jakes Guitar

So, it's been a while since I've posted a message, but trust me...I've been meaning to. About 3 weeks ago my company held it's National Sales Meeting, which is just a huge conference that brings all employees at headquarters and few from the stores together. During this conference many of the Exec's, VP's, CEO's, CIO's, CFO's, UFO's, BLT's and etc give an overview of where the company has been and the strategy for where we're (they're) looking to go. In addition to all of the speeches and lovely snacks, they also bring music artists to keep us entertained.

In the past Joss Stone, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Tony Benet and others have performed. This year, we had a young lady named Demi "something' from the Disney channel, Kelly Clarkson (of American Idol) and a Hawaiian Ukulele player named Jake Shimabukuro.

Of all the performances that day, Jake was by far the best. I've never listened to the sounds of a Ukulele and never had a desire to. I've always associated it with old Hawaii...not my style. However, this guy was definitely not old and his style was not traditional. His melodies had a modern twist that drew me in despite the lack of lyrics or other instruments. The tunes he played on his Island Guitar provided so much energy and emotion that even though there weren't any words, I totally understood the story that was being told.

That evening I Googled his name to listen to more of his stuff and check for a MN tour date. Unfortunately MN wasn't listed, but New York and Atlanta were. So for my readers in those states, if you're looking for something new...this is it.

If you're in another state, don't fret. Check out http://www.jakeshimabukuro.com/ for a list of dates in your city. Also, check out his performance of "While my Guitar Gently Weeps" on youtube and let me know what you think! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSkP3uym5k